BREXIT

PLEASE NOTE: In connection with the amendment to the Act on the Residence of Foreigners effective from August 2nd, 2021, the website is currently under construction and is being continuously updated. Thank you for your understanding. 

 Česky

Frequently asked questions

HOW DOES BREXIT AFFECT ME?

You have British citizenship as well as citizenship of another European Union Member State

• As an EU citizen, you will continue to have the right to freedom of movement that is to move and reside freely anywhere in the European Union, regardless of Brexit. You will also be able to keep your British citizenship. For more on EU citizens' rights, see: EU citizens and their family members.

What you should do

• If you have not yet done so, ensure that the Czech authorities, in particular the Ministry of the Interior, are notified of your other citizenship. If you intend to stay in the Czech Republic for more than three months apply for a certificate of temporary residence. Registration of residence is not obligatory for the EU citizens but we recommend you to register. Otherwise, the authority will not be aware that you have an ongoing right to freedom of movement.
   

You have both British and Czech citizenship

• As a Czech citizen, you have right to reside, to enter and to leave the territory of the Czech Republic. All Czech citizens are the EU citizen, which means you will continue to have the right to freedom of movement that is to move and reside freely anywhere in the European Union, regardless of Brexit. As a British citizen, you may nonetheless be able to invoke additional rights from the withdrawal agreement (concerning recognition of professional qualifications, etc.) You will be able to keep your British citizenship.
   

You are a British citizen and a family member of an EU citizen

• If you are a family member of an EU citizen, you will retain the right to freedom of movement regardless of Brexit. You will be entitled to move and reside freely anywhere within the European Union if you accompany or join your family member who is an EU citizen. For more information who is an EU citizen and his family member, please, check relevant section of our website.
   

What you should do

• If you are a family member of Czech or another EU citizen with a permanent residence permit and you have been living in the Czech Republic for more than two years, please, apply for a permanent residence permit.
   

You are a British citizen, you do not have citizenship of any other European Union Member State and you are not a family member of an EU citizen

• During the transition period until the end of 2020, you had the right to freedom of movement that is to move and reside freely anywhere in the European Union. After the end of the transition period, your rights under the withdrawal agreement apply (Agreement on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community) such as the right of residence, right to enjoy equal treatment and right to take up employment or self-employment.

What you should do

• If you intend to stay in the Czech Republic for more than three months, please, apply for a certificate of temporary residence.

  

RIGHT OF RESIDENCE

Does the new Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom affect UK citizens who were resident in the Czech Republic (a Member State of the European Union) before 1 January 2021?

• No, the new agreement does not regulate in any way the treatment of UK citizens who were resident in the Czech Republic (a Member State of the European Union) before 1 January 2021. In this case, we refer to the regulation in the Exit Agreement and the information on the Ministry of the Interior website.
   

Will I be allowed to stay in the Czech Republic as a British citizen?

• Yes, you will. When the withdrawal agreement came into force, a transition period began and it will last until December 31^st, 2020. During this time, the United Kingdom will essentially be treated as an EU Member State. In terms of residence law, for the duration of the transition period set out in the withdrawal agreement, British citizens and their third-country national family members will be treated as though the United Kingdom were still a European Union member state. EU freedom of movement regulations will continue to apply during this time.
  The Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic has prepared legislation to ensure the replacement of the relevant older residence documents with new biometric residence permit cards certifying rights under the withdrawal agreement as of 2 August 2021. After 31.12.2020, British citizens and their family members who have resided in the Czech Republic during the transitional period remain in a comparable situation to EU citizens in terms of their residence rights.
  British citizens who have never resided in the Czech Republic before or during the transition period, as of 1 January 2021, are considered third-country nationals and are subject to the same rights, obligations and types of procedures as other third-country nationals without the right of free movement.

Who will be able to invoke rights under the withdrawal agreement?

• The withdrawal agreement applies to all British citizens and all EU citizens who currently have the right to freedom of movement and who are living in the UK or in the EU at the end of the transition period, as well as to their family members.
  If you are a British citizen or a family member of a British citizen and you moved to the Czech Republic before the end of the transition period, you will be able to invoke the rights set out in the withdrawal agreement as long as you continue to live in the Czech Republic.
  To be able to invoke any rights under the withdrawal agreement, please, apply a registration certificate or a permanent residence permit, if you have not yet done so.

Does the new agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom regulate the rights of residence of the British citizens living in the territory of the Czech Republic before January 1^st, 2021?

• No, the new agreement does not regulate in any way the rights of residence of British citizens living in the Czech Republic (the member state of the European Union before January 1^st, 2020. These issues have been already governed by the withdrawal agreement – see the information on the Ministry of Interior website.

  

REPLACING YOU RESIDENCE PERMIT WITH A BIOMETRIC PERMIT

I am a British citizen and the withdrawal agreement applies to me and my family members. Do I have to replace our current documents for new biometric permits? Is there a deadline for doing so?

• Yes, biometric documents provide a higher level of prevention against falsification than older types of document. The move to biometric documents is the trend across Europe and we follow this trend also with regard to combating terrorism, and cross-border human smuggling and trafficking. An amendment to Act No. 326/1999 Coll. applicable as of 2 August 2021 taking into account changes introduced by the withdrawal agreement and stipulating the format of new biometric permits for citizens of the United Kingdom and their family members. This amendment laid down the obligation for you and your family members, if affected by the withdrawal agreement, to exchange their current residence documents by 31 August 2022 for biometric residence permits. Exchange means the issuance of a new permit with the same validity and the same expiry date as the original document. Exchange of documents takes place free of charge; each foreign national must apply for a replacement document him/herself, paying a new administrative charge of CZK 200 per application.
  
   

ENTERING THE CZECH REPUBLIC

What will change from 1 January 2021 on return or initial entry to the Czech Republic?

• After the end of the transitional period, the rules for third-country nationals will apply to you (whether or not you are covered by the withdrawal agreement) and to your third-country family members, if any, at checks on entry to and exit from the Czech Republic. This means that you will no longer be able to use the separate lanes for EU/EEA/CH citizens or the EasyGo system at airports, and you will have to undergo a thorough check of all the conditions for entering the Schengen area. Be prepared for passport control to take longer than before.

  

RIGHT TO VOTE

I have British citizenship only, can I vote in the Czech Republic?

• No. After Brexit you will no longer have the right to vote or to stand as a candidate in the municipal elections and the elections to the European Parliament (foreigners cannot vote in any other elections).
   

I have both British and Czech citizenship, can I vote in the Czech Republic?

• Yes, Czech citizens can vote and stand in all elections.
   

I have British citizenship and citizenship of another member state, can I vote?

• Yes. Citizens of other member states, who have a permanent or registered temporary residence in the Czech Republic,
  - can vote in the municipal elections, if they request to be registered in the addendum to the voters list
  - can vote in the European Parliament elections, if they request to be registered in the European Parliament elections voters list.
  
  If you have been previously registered in the addendum to the voters list (in case of the municipal elections) or in the European Parliament elections voters list and the municipal authority in your place of residence is aware of your dual citizenship, you do not have to do anything. You can vote again in the same type of elections as you have done in the past. You can check your registration at your municipal authority.
  If you have been previously registered in the addendum to the voters list (in case of the municipal elections) or in the European Parliament elections voters list and the municipal authority in your place of residence is not aware of your dual citizenship, you have to request to be registered again.

  

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